


From the Sea

by tinychrist



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: I'll add more tags along the way, M/M, Mutual Pining, Slow Build, based off the hans christian andersen story, cheesy but it's p much love at first sight, mermaid au, ocs but they're not important, they don't even have names
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-28
Updated: 2016-04-24
Packaged: 2018-05-10 01:33:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5563690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tinychrist/pseuds/tinychrist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tooru has lived his entire life curious about the humans above. When he is given the chance to go to the surface, Tooru sees and discovers things that make him want to learn more about the land above the sea.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. waiting

**Author's Note:**

> hey y'all!! so this is my first multi-chapter fic since I was like 15 so I'm hoping this will go a lot better than my first one. a little note from me, a week from today I'll be leaving the US and travelling to Spain to study abroad! so I'm not sure what will happen while I'm there, but I'll try my best to get at least a chapter or two (or three!) done while there. I also have two chapters done now so... but again, the updating on this fic might be slow but I hope it'll be interesting enough for people to follow (haha ha...)

Living deep in the sea, deeper than any human could imagine, there are magical beings that no man has ever seen. These beings with the torso of a human, yet the legs of a fish’s tail.

Full of magic and mystery, these beings live happily under their ocean with ease. Within the deep ocean there is a castle made of beautiful coral ruled by the King, who with a single hand, ruled the entirety of the sea. In this castle lives the King himself, along with his six children, all with human torsos, but fins as legs.

The youngest of all the children is Tooru, who with his big brown eyes and flowing brown hair, is the prettiest of all the King’s children, with also the most beautiful voice. And who is also the most curious about the land that is there above the sea. With Tooru being the youngest, he had only the tales and myths of the human world above from others to satisfy is budding curiosity.

“Tell me another story, please!” Tooru asks, his eyes wide and bright.

“Which one this time? You have heard them all,” a woman says. His sister, thirteen years his senior, pats the head of the small child. She was a very beautiful mermaid, with her long flowing hair dark like Tooru’s floating gently behind her in the water. With her being the eldest of six, she has been above the ocean the most and has seen the most of the world and the humans above.

“I don’t care which one, I love them all. I can’t wait until I can see that world for myself,” Tooru says swinging his turquoise tail in excitement and his eyes shining. “I’m just too small to go right now,” he pouts slightly. With him being only seven years old he still has a while before he can go to the surface at the age of eighteen. “But when I am able to go, I’m bringing you with me!”

His sister laughs lightly, “Well you know, your next sibling will take their first look at the surface in a few years. When they return, I bet you’ll have more stories to learn from,” she runs her fingers through the young boy’s flowing hair and boops a finger on his nose, “My dear Tooru, you are very special. And I know that your time on the surface will be very special.”

Tooru grins widely before giving his sister a firm hug.

* * *

 

The time for his second sibling to go the surface comes, Tooru now the age of fourteen. He watches them swim off with a wave to the rest of his family. Tooru waits anxiously and excitedly for his sibling to return, Tooru curious about what they may see. As he swims around the castle in boredom, he sees them return and immediately asks about what they saw and how beautiful it was.

“Tooru it was very pretty,” they begin raising an arm to tell their story, “there are plants that flow with their own invisible current, much like down here in our ocean. And there are these animals that can simply spread their arms and take flight!” They tell him about all the things they saw, and how the air felt on their skin.

“Tooru, the world up there is simply amazing,”

“You don’t have to tell me something I already know,” Tooru says running his hand down his cheek and looks longingly to the surface, “I cannot wait for my turn.”

With his siblings and himself only being a year apart in age, (except his eldest sister, who is thirteen years older than himself) Tooru was able to hear more stories of the land above in succession.

His next sibling to go was very brave, telling him that they swam up a riverbank into a town where humans lived. This story was his favorite to hear.

“They look so strange Tooru, walking on those... legs,” His sibling tells him, having to pause to remember the word their eldest sister had taught them. “And they wear these things on the bottoms of their legs! They’re all different colors too, much like our fins. But they do not make them faster, they have no purpose. Why would they need those? It is all so strange.” They say, shaking their head.

“But it’s all so interesting.”

Tooru is elated what what his sibling tells him, begging to hear more and more, and also dreaming about his turn to the surface.

The fourth did not venture to the surface being so shy, but swam far to the outer parts of the sea, close to the shore, but never breaking to see the surface.

“I just didn’t feel like it,” they tell Tooru, rolling their eyes. “I can go whenever I want, now that I am of age. But you, poor baby Tooru, have to wait the longest.” They say in a mocking tone while pinching one of Tooru’s cheeks, making Tooru pout his lips. This particular sibling was not Tooru’s favorite. Not because of anything major, but the teasing was very annoying.  

“Rude!”

His fifth sibling, the last sibling before he himself was to go to the surface, returns with not only with stories but also something that belonged to humans.

“Tooru!” They call out when they see him, “Tooru I found something from the human world! And you _have_ to see it!”

Tooru was elated.

“What is it?” He asks excitedly as his sibling lifts the the object in front of Tooru’s eyes.

“I’m not sure, but as soon as I saw it I thought of you,” his sibling hands the object to Tooru.

Tooru takes it carefully, not wanting to drop, or worse, break the only thing he has ever seen from the surface.

The object is a circular shape, a perfect circle actually with a smaller perfect circle in the middle of it. On one side it was black with small white and red lettering but other other was a marvelous shine with so many colors. Even colors Tooru had never seen before.

It’s the best thing Tooru has ever had in his life.

“This is so amazing, I can’t believe you were able to find something like this,” Tooru says flipping the object in hand to watch the colors. He gives it one more loving look before handing the thing back carefully to his sibling. They hold up a hand.

“You keep it Tooru, it obviously makes you happy,” They say giving Tooru a wink and a smile.

Tooru can’t help but fling himself at his sibling, thanking them over and over.

“You know what that means though Tooru,” his sibling says and he pulls away from the embrace, “you gotta find something more exciting and intriguing from the world above. With you being, well… you, it’ll be an easy task.” His sibling wraps an arm around Tooru’s neck and grinds their knuckles into his hair, “You’re turn is finally here, just one more year, Tooru.” And Tooru cannot help the large smile on his face.

_One more year._

 


	2. treasures

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tooru finally gets his turn to go to the surface and what he finds changes him forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> second chapter (with tentative title)!!! okay so i'm leaving (jan 3rd) for my study abroad! i have half of the third chapter written and i'll have it up asap, depending on how well i adjust i'm hoping within a week or so it'll be up. thanks so much for reading!!

Finally the day arrives where Tooru can see the surface for himself. His eighteenth birthday begins with his eldest sister waking him and telling him to prepare for his journey. Tooru is so excited, he has been dreaming of this day for years.

“Tooru,” his sister calls out for him, “come here please.”

“Yeah?”  Tooru follows his sister’s voice to her room.

“You have to get your fin decorated before you leave,” she says, holding chains and pearls waiting to be adorned to his fin. Along with that there is a gold crown in one of her hands.

“This is a waste, it’ll all just fall off and sink to the bottom of the sea,” Tooru pouts his lips.

“Tooru.” The tone in her voice lowers and Tooru knows to stop what he is saying and doing.

The faster this is over, the faster he can leave.

“I’m sorry, please do what you have to,” he says lowering his head a little to show he’s sorry.

“It’s fine, Tooru,” she chuckles lifting his head slightly to plant a kiss to his forehead, “I know how long you have waited for this moment. I’ll be quick with the decorations then you can be on your way,” she says and starts on the decorations of this fin.

With his fin decorated and a thin crown adorning his head, Tooru is almost shaking with how excited he is to visit the surface. His thoughts are rapid one right after the other, _what will they look like? will they see me? what does it feel like? taste like?_

Tooru’s thoughts are interrupted by a finger tapping his shoulder, and he jumps in surprise. Though it is only his sister. He gives her a warm smile and is pulled into a hug.

“Be safe, Tooru,” she says softly and pets his head lightly.

“I will. Thank you so much for everything you have taught me,” he pulls away but keeps her in his hands, “Hopefully I won’t make an ass of myself while I’m up there,” Tooru smiles again before releasing her from his grasp.

And with one last look, he waves to his sister before dashing off into the sea.

* * *

 

As Tooru is swimming, closer and closer to the surface, he can see the outline of the moon, shimmering on the ocean below. He smiles because he knows he is only a few feet away from what he has dreamed about his entire life.

Tooru let’s himself burst through the surface in a great splash. Breathing in through his mouth the air of the surface above the waves.

The feeling is everything he could have ever wanted.

The air on his damp skin and hair is cool and makes him shiver, but Tooru doesn’t care. He runs his fingers through his wet hair and glances up to the nighttime sky. The full moon shining bright on the waves as they rise and fall.

Tooru lets out a soft laugh of disbelief because he is finally here, he’s seeing the surface for _himself_.

Before he starts swimming to explore more, he takes a glimpse of his surroundings and sees something large in the water a ways away from him. Tooru knows it is probably a ship, the humans use them to explore the seas and travel. He can’t help the grin on his face as he goes against his better judgement and dives under to swim to the large ship.

Little does Tooru know that on that ship, is a boy by the name of Hajime. Who is also on this night, celebrating his birthday. Although his actual birthday was weeks ago, this was the only time that he was able to actually celebrate how he wanted.

Sailing was one of Hajime’s favorite hobbies, although he didn’t get to sail very often. Since he was a prince, he was very busy day in and day out with his duties. Hajime was happy for his time away from his responsibilities. When he is able to sail for days without a care in the world.

“Sir Hajime,” someone speaks beside him and Hajime turns his head to see who it is.

“Ah, Tobio, what can I do for you?” Hajime asks. Tobio is Hajime’s closest thing to a friend he could have considering his high birth keeps him from actually interacting with people his age.

“Well firstly you could step away from the edge of the ship, you’re making the crew and myself incredibly nervous.” Tobio motions his hand towards himself to show the direction he wants Hajime to walk.

“Oh please, you know more than anyone on this ship that I am perfectly fine,” Hajime says looking away from him and leaning his arms on the railing, “the night is beautiful and I plan to take full advantage of its beauty.” Hajime looks to the full moon and gives a soft smile, “This is the first time in a long time I’ve been able to enjoy myself.”

“Yes I know this,” Tobio answers, “but you and I both know that once our journey is over, we will have to return and continue your future wedding plans,”

Hajime scrunches his nose, making sure to keep his face away from Tobio.

“Please don’t remind me,” Hajime keeps his gaze locked on the moon. The future marriage that everyone and their mother back home has been talking about for months, _who’s the lucky princess? Where will she be from? Will she be beautiful?_

It all sat painfully heavy in Hajime’s stomach.

“Sir Hajime,” Tobio approaches and lays a hand on his shoulder, “I know how you feel about the whole arranged marriage, but as a prince you don’t really have a say,”

“And why is that?” Hajime challenges and turns away from the beauty of the moon to face Tobio, “why do I have to marry? Why do I have to listen and follow every little thing that my parents tell me to do? Why can I not do with my life as I please?” Hajime runs a hand through his hair, “Why can’t I even pick who the damn person is?” He huffs quietly.

“We both know very well why it must be,” Tobio sighs, “I’ll stop with reminding you for the rest of your celebration,” Tobio turns and walks farther away from Hajime, “but we will have to discuss this more when we reach the shore.” He gives Hajime an apologetic look before leaving him to himself.

Hajime lets out a tired sigh, turning back to the ocean and the moon. He knows very well what he must do, but what he wants to do is so much different, and dangerous.

Hajime had always known that he did not fancy girls. But given his status, he is always wary about his secret and keeping it just that. There was no one really that he had an eye on, but even if he did, there was no way they would be able to be together.

Letting out another sigh Hajime runs a hand through his hair and looks to his crew, all celebrating on the deck merrily. He sniffs harshly before pushing down his negative emotions to celebrate with his crew.

Down in the water below, Tooru is there, watching the ship float with the sea and hearing the humans that are on the ship. As far as he knows, this is the closest a mer-person has ever been to humans.

Tooru is _fascinated._

He can hear shouts and cheers coming from the people on the ship and his curiosity leads him to getting as close to the ship as possible. When he swims close enough he touches the side of the ship and marvels at the texture. It’s incredibly smooth and when Tooru taps his hand against it the sound that it makes is nothing like he’s heard before.

Tooru wants to get a closer look at the humans on board but he's stuck in the water below. Tooru huffs a pout and looks for anything at all to grab, and sees an opening about five feet above him.

Tooru thinks a quick plan and looks for a place where he is able to sit comfortably, stay mostly hidden, and still see the humans on the ship. He searches farther down and sees a great spot, and he's lucky it's by a few of the black openings too. He smiles before reaching his hand out as far as he can and waits for a wave to push him higher in the water.

“Okay, one… two… three…!” Tooru leaps as far as he can, with the extra height granted to him by the sea and grabs firmly onto the opening.

He pulls himself up with an arm and reaches out for the next opening grabbing it confidently and finally reaching his spot to where he could sit unnoticed by the humans on board.

Tooru is intrigued by the sights and smells coming from the ship, although some are more alluring than others. As Tooru is looking around at all the humans on the ship, he fails to notice one approaching where he is sitting and blinks in surprise. Before he can be noticed, he presses his entire body to the ship as far as it can go as to not be seen by the human.

He can feel the presence of another body approaching the edge of the ship and Tooru fills with panic because _he is about to be seen by a human._

Tooru sucks in a breath and closes his eyes tightly turning his face away from the human, waiting for the scream or shriek of seeing a monster.

But the scream never came.

Tooru turns his head slowly back to the human and he is struck breathless by the person before him.

The man is looking away from the ship, his gaze locked on the moon and it’s beauty, while Tooru is drinking in the man before him. His dark hair is being tussled by the wind, and his brown eyes shine brightly in the light of the moon. Tooru can say he has seen the most beautiful person in all the world and ocean.

Tooru is tempted to lean closer, to get a better look at this human, but before he can he hears a giant crack of what he thinks is thunder. The shock scares him and before he knew it he was falling from his spot and back into the sea. Tooru breaks the surface again quickly, not wanting his eyes to leave the human on the ship, but as he looks toward the moon, he sees stars falling from the sky, yet disappearing before ever touching the ocean.

He is confused about how this is happening but tears his eyes away from the falling, and noisy, lights to gaze again at the human who is looking at the lights in the sky. To Tooru, he is even more so radiantly beautiful.

“Hajime!” Tooru hears someone on the ship call out and he ducks down enough that only his eyes are above the water. He sees the man turn his head to where the voice comes from and gives a smile to whoever had called out to him.

Hajime, Tooru’s mind focuses on how the syllables sound, as to not forget them. _As if I could forget that face._ Tooru thinks to himself and rises enough out of the water so his head is above.

Tooru looks up the ship to see if he can find where he had grabbed before to pull himself up but before he could he hears another crack of sound that very obviously was not from the lights above. He looks to his left to see a large group of dark, dangerous looking clouds and the lightning shooting off from their puffs.

He dives under the water before the rain starts pouring, knowing this is the safest place for him since he can swim quite fast, but he remembers Hajime on the ship and pokes his head out to check on the ship above. Everyone is shouting, calling for things to be tied down and for people to “hunker down”. Whatever that means.

Tooru sees Hajime helping the others on the ship, and Tooru is filled with a sense of fear because he doesn’t want Hajime to fall into the raging sea. Tooru swims close to the ship, keeping an eye on Hajime the entire time to ensure he’s safe. When he swims away from the ship to check on it’s condition he sees a bright streak of light hit the ship, causing the entire ship to crack and pieces begin to fall in the sea.

Looking around franticly for the humans on board, he dives under and swims to the other side to see humans starting to load smaller boats on the side. Tooru looks frantically for that beautiful face but doesn’t see Hajime on any of the boats being lowered into the water.

The ship makes another long, screeching crack before busting, the wood from it falling into the ocean. Tooru looks at the smaller boats, now paddling away from the sinking ship and Tooru looks for Hajime anywhere and everywhere he can see.

Tooru dives again into the water and starts moving ship parts around in a desperate search for the boy he has seen tonight, and starts breathing heavily when he cannot find him anywhere. As Tooru is dashing from one piece to another, he sees something floating in the water that is not wood. He rushes over and grabs the object with a tight grip rushing himself and whatever is in his grasp to the surface.

When he breaks the water the sky is dark and the rain is leaving his visibility to almost zero. He can’t see exactly what is in his hands. Finally a strike of lightning flashes the sky giving him a moment of sight. The thing in his grasp is definitely a human, and with dark hair! Tooru lifts the human’s face to get a better look, but with another strike of lightning Tooru sees his face.

It’s not Hajime.

Tooru runs his hand hastily through his hair and looks to where the smaller boats have been paddling off too. He bites his lip looking to the human in his hands and lets out a heavy sigh before diving under the water to take the human to the group of boats. He knows he must swim fast to get the human to the boats, but he also has to find Hajime. Tooru feels a pain shoot through his chest and he dashes as fast as he can with a body in his hands. When he approaches the group of boats, he stays just below the surface and lifts the body within the sights of the humans on board.

“There’s Tobio!” A man calls out and the other humans in a boat reach out for the boy’s body, pulling him into the boat. Tooru is happy the human has been saved, but he still needs to find Hajime.

He dives deeper into the water looking thoroughly between every piece of debris that has fallen into the raging sea. Tooru’s heart drops in his chest and the pain there is crushing his air supply. In the darkness of the water he feels everything floating in the water touching only pieces from the sinking ship. As Tooru is losing his cool about finding Hajime, he feels something that is not hard like wood, it’s a body. Tooru’s heart starts beating fast as he grabs with his full strength and swims as fast to the surface as he can.

Tooru pushes the body he has in his hands to the surface first before coming up himself. He brings his face to the other’s and tries to find anything distinguishable about the face but in the darkness he can’t see anything. As he was frantically feeling around for anything distinguishable, a large strike of lightning lights up the sky, the bolt splitting apart to light the sky even more so than usual. Tooru can get a good look at the face and his heart races again, it’s Hajime.

“Hajime!” Tooru calls out, his voice quiet compared to the storm, but receives no reply from the unconscious body floating in the sea. He looks in the direction the smaller boats had gone, but sees no sign of them. Tooru decides quickly that he has to get Hajime to shore before it’s too late.

 _But if he drowns_ , a voice says in Tooru, _he will be with you forever, under your sea_.

Tooru halts for a moment, letting the waves make him rise and fall in time with the storm. The voice is not untrue. Hajime would be with him. Tooru stays for only a second more before shaking his head to no one but himself.

“I can’t do that. I have to save him.”

Tooru places Hajime on his back, head above the water, and darts in the direction the boats had gone.

* * *

 

When Tooru arrives at the shore, Hajime in tow, the sun is just starting to rise with the previous storm nothing but a distant memory. He flings the boy onto the sand before using his arms to scoot himself next to the unconscious boy and to pull him away from the water’s edge.

“Hajime?” Tooru’s voice is soft and he brings an hand to Hajime’s face. “Hajime, please wake up.” He tries again.

Tooru bites his lip because he has never been this afraid before. He pats Hajime’s face lightly and shakes his shoulder, as if he were trying to wake a child.

“Hajime… please. Open your eyes,” Tooru’s voice cracks out painfully. This can’t be happening. The most beautiful person he has ever seen, with the most beautiful eyes of any human or merperson he had ever seen. Tooru wishes greatly to see those eyes again.

Tooru moves his hand from Hajime’s cheek to his forehead, ruffling the boy’s hair gently, _Even after all that, it’s so soft._ Tooru smiles weakly at his thought moving his hand to the back of the boy’s head, and without even thinking places a light kiss upon Hajime’s lips.

Suddenly, Hajime begins to cough violently, water coming and spilling from his mouth. Tooru jumps back as quick as he can while in the sand and watches as Hajime coughs up all that was in his lungs. Tooru is ecstatic when he sees Hajime’s chest move as it should. Taking in air like humans should.

Tooru slowly approaches Hajime’s body. Hajime is lifting his limbs groggily, as if he were only in a deep sleep and not close to death’s door, and tries to block the sun from his still closed eyes.

Tooru places his hand again on Hajime’s cheek and is pleased with the warmth that was not previously there, “Hajime,” Tooru says in a quiet voice, “Hajime, oh thank the gods, you’re okay. You’re here, with me.” He smiles and slowly strokes his hand down Hajime’s neck to stop on his chest.

“Here… what?” Hajime is in a state of confusion and brings all of his will power to crack open an eye to see who is talking to him. With a single eye open, Hajime sees the most beautiful sight. As well as he can with his blurry, inconsistent vision. He raises an arm weakly and places his hand over the one one on his chest.

“Yes, you’re here.” Tooru says again with a soft smile patting Hajime’s chest softly, his fin lightly splashing in the water’s edge.

“Who… are you?” Hajime croaks out before finally opening both eyes to see just who he was with. Not only was the sun shining in his eyes, but the radiant beauty from the man above him was blinding as well. Hajime gives a small smile hoping it gives off the amount of gratitude he wants it to.

As Tooru was about to answer, he hears a voice along the shore calling out, “Hajime!” Tooru panics and swiftly returns himself to the water where he can stay hidden, but still see Hajime. Just as he plants himself behind a large rock, he sees multiple people come to Hajime’s aid, just as he rises into a sitting position looking utterly confused.

“Sir Hajime!” One of the people call out wrapping an arm around his shoulders, “we were so worried about you! How were you able to make it out of that storm yourself? The ship was nearly two miles away from shore!”

Hajime was still trying to get his thoughts and memories together giving him an awful headache, and the questions were not helping.

“There was a boy,” he starts softly and looks around to all the men who had found him. Looking for that boy, “I saw him, there was a boy here. He saved me,” Hajime looks to his feet for answers, but merely sees the waves washing upon the clear sand.

Tooru was elated when he heard Hajime say that.

“Well wherever he is we can thank him later, but for now we have to get you back to your home.” The man who spoke before still had an arm around Hajime’s shoulders and helped him to his feet, “Can you walk sir?”

“Yeah… yes. I’m fine.” Hajime answers distractedly, his eyes focusing the best the could on the ocean before him. He knows there was another boy here. Hajime saw him. Hajime heard his beautiful voice.  
But what he didn’t see or hear was the shimmering fin of a merman, diving back into the sea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'll have a link to the ao3 on my tumblr. thanks so much for reading, kudos and comments are greatly appreciated!


	3. remembering

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tooru and his sister have a talk, Hajime tries to remember all he can about the boy on the beach.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't forgotten this fic!! I swear!! I thought I would have time abroad but a lot of stuff happened while I was there that just didn't motivate me while I was away. But here is the next chapter! Thanks so much for all the kudos and comments, please keep them coming!! This is a little shorter than the first two but I'll make it up in the next one, things are going to get more plotty next chapter!!

Tooru swims as fast as he can to his home. The heart in his chest beating rapidly, but not because of the swimming. Tooru slows himself down when his home is within view and he brings a hand to his chest to feel the pounding, “That was intense,” he takes a few deep breaths to calm himself down.

“What was?” A voice sounds from behind him and Tooru shrieks in fear.

“When did you get there?!” Tooru presses both hands to his pounding heart and turns to find his eldest sister, chuckling lightly. “You almost killed me!

“It’ll take a lot more than that to kill you dear Tooru,” she says reaching out to Tooru for a hug. “I honestly wasn’t trying to scare you, but I couldn’t miss the opportunity,”

Tooru pouts but accepts his sisters embrace, “Well whatever, you still scared me,”

“You didn’t answer me though,” she pulls back to look at Tooru’s face, “What was so intense?” 

Tooru’s face drops and he bites his lip. He’s not sure to tell his sister or not about what he has experienced. He thinks quick and puts on a fake, soft smile, “Oh, you know… uh. A storm! There was a storm last night! It was so dark and the rain kept me from seeing anything. My first time to the surface and I experienced nothing, sister.” Tooru lies.

“You can’t fool me, Tooru,” his sister crosses her arms elegantly. 

Tooru sighs through his nose and looks up to his sister, “Okay.” He starts and he runs a hand through his hair, “But you can’t tell anyone, not our siblings, and definitely not our father,” Tooru points a finger at her. 

“You can tell me anything.” And Tooru begins his story. 

 

* * *

 

“I’ve told you a million times, I’m fine.” Hajime pushes away the nurse at his bedside gently, looking to Tobio, “Stop sending doctors and nurses in here, Jesus.” 

“You know we have to make sure you’re okay,” Tobio says with a sigh, and goes to the door to Hajime’s room, “I’ll go tell your parents that the nurses said you’re fine. I’ll come back soon,” he leaves without a word leaving Hajime to himself.

Hajime looks to his door before flopping back he on his bed. All day long he’s been seen by multiple people to check his health. Apparently just him saying he’s fine isn’t enough. 

He can’t stop thinking about all that happened to him. He definitely remembers the storm, and the ship falling to pieces, the boy who was there with him. Hajime remembers, he wishes he could remember him clearly. The blur of brown hair and eyes is all he has, that and the voice. 

Running a hand down his face Hajime tries to remember the face that was there with him, the boy who he felt touch his chest, and he in return touched that hand. He places his hand on his chest, the last place he remembers the boy’s touch and he sighs through his nose.

Being royalty never really helped with meeting people his age. The only person Hajime having to confide in being the live-in servant’s son, Tobio, who also worked as a servant for Hajime’s family. Not having anyone to talk to made him lonely at times, even though he considered Tobio a friend, he wasn’t very comfortable with confiding his thoughts with him. 

Hajime couldn’t stop thinking about the boy on the beach. He didn’t remember a lot, the whole exchange with the boy was a blur, he doesn’t even remember what he was saying when the boy was speaking to him. Since he was able to save him, that means he has to live nearby right? There could be a chance to see him again, Hajime held onto that thought as tightly as he could.

“Hajime?” Tobio knocks on his door before entering without waiting for Hajime to say so. “I know you say you’re fine but really, how are you feeling?”

“I’m fine.”

“That’s some bullshit,” Tobio says moving to bed and crossing his arms.

“I mean it, I’m fine. Physically speaking,” he says sitting up in his bed, “I’m still breathing, nothing is broken so? Why are you still pestering me?” 

“Technically it’s my job,” Tobio sits himself on the edge of Hajime’s bed, “and you know you can’t lie to me.” 

“That’s a lie right there. I’ve done that plenty of times,”

“Okay whatever my point still stands, what is wrong?” Tobio retorts, making sure Hajime knew he wasn’t going to leave until he knew.

Hajime looks away and bites his bottom lip, “So you know how I was found at the beach?” Hajime starts and Tobio nods his head. “Well before I was found by the guys, there was another person who helped me.” Hajime turns his head back to Tobio. 

He raises an eyebrow, “There wasn’t anyone else there though? You were alone,”

“I know I was found alone but I was helped by someone else. A boy.”

“Who was he? A friend of yours?”

Hajime rolls his eyes, “Funny, but no. I don’t know who he was, I actually don’t even know what he looks like. When I woke up my vision was blurred and the sun was so bright I couldn’t see his face. He has brown hair though,” he motions to his own hair, “it’s so strange because I remember him saying my name, like he knew me.” Hajime clings to the memory of the voice, calling out his name. He pointedly decides to not tell Tobio about how beautiful it was to him.

“Wow Hajime, you sure do know how to describe someone,” Tobio says before getting a jab to the side. He holds the hit area and shoots a small glare at the boy in bed.

“Shut up” Hajime glares back before looking away and to the window, “He was there and then suddenly he wasn’t. It’s so strange, how could he just disappear like that?” 

“Do you think he lives close by?” Tobio asks.

“I’m not sure, I’d know for certain if it were him by voice. It was very distinctive,” Hajime nods in affirmation to himself. 

“I’m sure it was, I bet he looks like a model too,”

“I’m not sure about that, he’s certainly attractive though, especially by my standards. I’d definitely--” Hajime stops before he could talk anymore, he knew this trap he had been lured into. He snaps his head back to Tobio, “You’re a little shit,” 

“I knew it from the start,” he smirks. Even Hajime can give a small smile and rolls his eyes, “so, this boy. Thinks he lives around here?” 

“I don’t even know. I’m determined to find out though.” 

“Well I’ll keep an eye out,” Tobio rises from the bed and goes to the door, “we’ll keep it our little secret, no?” he turns before giving a small bow and excusing himself.

Hajime shakes his head, Tobio was always able to get information out of him, even before Hajime knew what he was doing. Tobio was very deductive. He was also the first (and only) person to find out about Hajime’s sexuality. Though Tobio was also gay, so it helped a bit having else close by who also knew his struggles. They weren’t as nearly as bad as Hajime’s though, Tobio was free to see anyone he liked no problem. Hajime was a prince, was going to be a king, and he had to have heirs to his throne. This was the major issue.

He knew his parents wouldn’t approve, he knew how his parents were, especially his mom. His mom going on and on about grandchildren, even though Hajime was only eighteen, and wouldn’t take the throne until he married. The thought still made his chest ache though, the thought of marriage in general made his head race, but marrying someone you could never love? Call him a sap but that’s just the worst thing that could happen. 

Thus Hajime flopped himself back into his bed, his thoughts making him feel distraught and overall just bad. He chose to go back to sleep to not have to worry about anything else for awhile. His head filled with the voice of the boy on the beach.

 

* * *

 

Deep in the sea, Tooru is laying in his bed with his sister with him, combing her fingers through Tooru’s hair, “I want to see him again.” He says, not looking at his sister.

“Well I don’t see why you can’t,” she says, her fingers massaging her brother’s scalp, “you’re free to go the surface whenever you want.”

“I know this,” Tooru turns his head, his sister’s fingers disengaging from his hair, “but I don’t even know where Hajime lives. I got him to the beach but, I don’t know where he actually lives.” 

“Well, that’s true,” she says, her voice light like air, “but we could go look together. You did say people came to his rescue, there’s a possibility he lives near where you were,” 

“But it’s not safe? We’d be super close to humans, if they saw us dad would be pissed,” 

“Well then we’ll just not have to get caught,” she shoots a wink at him and Tooru sighs. 

“I’ll think about it, for now I have a question for you. About us,” he says looking her in the eyes, showing his seriousness. “I was reading on some history about our people and I never saw anything about what is after death.” 

“I’ll tell you anything you want to know, if I know it of course,” she says, her smile soft.

Tooru nods and continues on, “When I was studying I saw how there were no accounts of anything after death other than, well, being dead. It didn’t bother me much but after reading histories and stories about humans, they have this thing. A soul that lives on after death. I mean, how does that even happen? They continue living forever after death, just in another form.” 

“Well that’s true,” his sister starts, “but we mermaids live far longer than humans do.” She motions to herself, “I can easily live to be three hundred or four hundred years old, depending on health, the thought of a longer life makes us not worry much about the life after death.”

“I know that but after all that time? We’re just, gone.” Tooru looks away, his head shaking slightly, “I don’t know how to feel about that, it’s like our lives just burn out,”

“Yes but, you live so much longer, and we don’t age in the same time as them. For example you’ll look this young until you’re easily in your fifties,” 

“While that does sound nice,” Tooru has to agree since he is unnecessarily fixated on this looks, “but that doesn’t do anything to quell the fear in my heart of death, and what comes after.” 

His sister frowns slightly and gives a small sigh, “Well, don’t worry about this now, you’re young and death is far away from us. How about we go out and search for where this Hajime may live, yes?” She asks, hoping to get Tooru away from the subject. 

Tooru purses his lips and lifts himself out of his bed, “Yeah, I guess. I don’t think we’ll get very far but hey, whatever.” Tooru wasn’t as excited as he should be. He wanted to be, badly, but the thought of his death and after was settling badly on his heart. “I’m ready when you are, sis.”

  
She smiles lightly and swims to Tooru, grabbing his face and pressing a kiss to his forehead, “Don’t underestimate my instincts,” she winks and Tooru manages a small soft smile. She releases his face and motions to the open place in his room, “Let’s go, then.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm on tumblr @ [tobiopls](http://tobiopls.tumblr.com)


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